Guadalupe Mine

Past Producer in Santa Clara county in California, United States with commodity Mercury
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Alteration
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Mineral rights holdings
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Production statistics
  20. Workings at the site
  21. Links to other databases
  22. Bibliographic references
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10040741
MRDS ID M055604
MAS/MILS ID 60850104
Record type Site
Current site name Guadalupe Mine
Alternate or previous names Guadalupe

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Geographic coordinates: Elevation UTM Precision Relative position Point location
Main Entrance -121.9005, 37.21008 (WGS84) 183 10 10 MI S OF SAN JOSE. Adit by Gualadupe Mine label on topo.
(click for info)
Main Entrance -121.90267, 37.20883 (WGS84) 10 Shaft on topo, south of Guadalupe Creek
Main Entrance -121.90224, 37.21239 (WGS84) 10 Adit on topo at northwest of main cluster of shafts and propects.
Main Entrance -121.90222, 37.21239 (WGS84) 10 Northwest-most adit on topo in this cluster of workings. Probably Canyon Tunnels (see Bailey and Everhart, pl. 14)
Main Entrance -121.90353, 37.21552 (WGS84) 10 Adit on topo at extreme NW end of mine cluster. (Formerly "Unnamed Location", MAS 0060850111 = newMRDS 10189684)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Santa Clara(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Los Gatos(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

San Jose(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

San Jose(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Coyote(hydrologic unit)

San Francisco Bay(hydrologic accounting unit)

San Francisco Bay(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California Santa Clara

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 008S 001E 30 NE California

Comments on the location information

  • LOCATED ON CENTRAL SHAFT

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Mercury Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cinnabar Ore
Mercury Ore
Dolomite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Bornite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Galena Unknown
Sphalerite Unknown
Stibnite Unknown

Alteration

  • (Local) Silica Carbonate Alteration Of Serpentine

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Serpentinite
    Rock unit name Franciscan Complex
    Rock description Franciscan Complex
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -121.9005, 37.21008
Main Entrance (2) -121.90267, 37.20883
Main Entrance (3) -121.90224, 37.21239
Main Entrance (4) -121.90222, 37.21239
Main Entrance (5) -121.90353, 37.21552

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Serpentine - Sediment Contact , Shearing, Folding

Ore body information

  • General form IRREGULAR
    Strike N 55 W
    Dip 35 SW
    Thickness 12.19M
    Length 45.72M
    Depth to bottom 304.8M
  • Name deleted record 10213710 (MAS 0060850104)
    Strike N55W
    Dip 45W
    Thickness 8M
    Length 137M
    Width 107M
    Depth to top 100M
  • Name deleted record 10213710 (MAS 0060850104).
    Area 141HA

Comments on the ore body information

  • From deleted MAS record 0060850104. Seems to be a proposed or hypothetical model: [MATRIX 1 COLUMN 1 REPRESENTS TOTAL IDENTIFIED RESOURCES THESE RESOURCES ARE LOCATED NORTHWEST OF THE LAMB SHAFT AT A DEPTH OF 122 METERS (M).] MAS Matrix # : 1 MAS Column # : 1 Type of Orebody #1 : REPLACEMENT Shape of Orebody #1 : IRREGULAR Type of Orebody #2 : FISSURE VEIN Shape of Orebody #2 : TABULAR Primary mode of Origin : HYDROTHERMAL Primary Ore Control : LITHOLOGY Secondary Ore Control : FRACTURING Degree of Wallrock Alter. : MODERATE Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 : CARBONITIZATION Strike And Dip : N55W:45W Minimum Depth to Top : 0 Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 3 Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. : 0 Date of Last Modification : 820524

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Local Fracturing Or Brecciation

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1846
Discoverer Josiah Belden
Year of first production 1856
Production years 1854 - 1886, 1901 - 1906, 1908 - 1918, 1935 - 1937, 1943 - 1947

Comments on exploration

  • From MAS 0060850104 = newMRDS 10213710: 1942 DIREXPL WITH HELP OF USBM. FOUND MODERATE TONAGE OF LOW GRADE ORE. 1957 DIREXPL DMEA , FOUND SOME ORE

Mining district

District name New Almaden

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner James Rolfe, Iii
    First year 1957
  • Type Owner
    Owner Guadalupe Rubbish Disposal Inc.
    Interest 95
    Home office California
    Year 1982
  • Type Owner
    Owner Rancho de Guadalupe Inc.
    Interest 5
    Home office California
    Year 1982

Production statistics

  • Year 1874
    Period 1846-1874
    Material Bailey and Everhart, PP-360, p. 163. 20,000 flasks Hg.
    Accuracy Estimate
  • Year 1947
    Period To 1947
    Material HG
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^2-5% Hg
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mercury Mercury 1581g/mt
  • Year 1947
    Period 1875-1947
    Material 92,623 flasks Hg produced. (Bailey and Everhart, PP-360, p. 163)
    Accuracy Accurate

Comments on the production information

  • DMEA REPT INDICATES ABOUT 115,000 FL PRODUCED

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ESTIMATED RESERVES OF 2000 TONS OF 5% ORE

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 8046.5M
  • Type of workings Underground
    Name of workings (unknown--from Bailey and Everhart, PP-360, p. 164)
    Length 9144.01M

Comments on the workings information

  • UNDERGROUND WORKINGS INACCESSIBLE
  • From deleted record 0060850104. Unclear if this is real or proposed: Length 500 M Depth 122 M Additional Information: MAS Development Schedule #: 1 Mining Record # : 1 Status of Mining Method : PROPOSED Mining Method : SHRINKAGE METHODS Swell Factor : .6 Percent Waste Rock : 0 Percent Recovery : 100 Hardness of Rock : HARDROCK FISSURED WITH MODERATE WATER Rock Characteristics : ONE SYSTEM OF WEAKNESS PLANES Rock Support Chars. : SUPPORTING MAY BACK SLAB Mine Support Chars. : TIMBER Number of Shafts : 1 Length of Inclines (m) : 0 Slope of Inclines : 0 Avg. Length of Adits (m) : 0 1st Condition of Workings : OPEN Capacity : 64Capacity Units : MT ORE/DAY Unit Production Cost : 62.79 Units of Production : $/MT ORE Operating Days per Year : 71 Operating Shifts per Day : 1 Year of Information : 1982
  • Named workings (from Bailey and Everhart, pl. 14) include: Good Friday Shaft, Mc Gurk Tunnel, Old Hill mine pits, Canyon Tunnels, Caplan Tunnel, Moreno Tunnel, Upper and Lower water Tunnels, Hicks Tunnel, New Guadalupe Inclined Shaft, Office Mine Pit, Old Inclidne Shaft, Engine Shaft, Virginia Shaft, Maryland #1 shaft, Maryland No. 2 Shaft, and an air shaft on the south side of the hilltop. North of the hill are the Kelly Cuts, Upper Kelley Workings, and New Prospect tunnels. At the east end of the hilltop, but still west of Senator Mine, are the East Hilltop Workings.

Comments on development

  • MAS 0060850104 = newMRDS 10213710: WATER AND ELECTRICAL POWER ARE AVAILABLE AT THE SITE, OR WITHIN 5 KILOMETERS (KM). THE PRESENT ACCESS ROAD IS ADEQUATE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BAILEY, E. H., AND EVERHART, D. L., 1964, GEOLOGY AND QUICKSILVER DEPOSITS OF THE NEW ALMODEN DISTRICT, SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: USGS PROF. PAPER 360, 206 P.

  • Deposit

    HOLMES, G. W., JR., 1965, MERCURY IN CALIFORNIA: IN USBM IC 8252

  • Deposit

    BAILEY, E. H., USGS, PERSONAL FILES

  • Deposit

    RANSOME, A. L. AND KELLOGG, J. L., 1939, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA: CALIF. JOUR. OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 35, no. 4, P. 353 - 486

  • Deposit

    BEDFORD, R.H. AND RICKER, S., 1950, INVESTIGATION OF THE GUADELUPE MERCURY MINE, SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF.: USBM RI 4682, 9 p.

  • Deposit

    BRADLEY, W.W., 1918, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA: CJMG BULL. 78, 389 P.

  • Deposit

    DAVIS,F.F., AND JENNING, C.W., 1954, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF.: CJMG, V. 50, no. 2, P. 342-354

  • Deposit

    FORSTNER, W., 1908, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA, CDMG BULL. 27, 270 P.

  • Deposit

    FRANKE, H.A., 1930, SANTA CLARA COUNTY, MINING IN CALIFORNIA: REPT. OF THE STATE MINERALOGIST, V. 26, P. 26-33

  • Production

    USBM DATA; BAILEY & EVERHART; HOLMES

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, 1944, GUADULUPE -: MINING WORLD, P. 34 AND 36.

  • Deposit

    HUGUENIN, E. AND CASTELLO, W. O., 1921, SANTA CLARA COUNTY IN HAMILTON, FLETCHER, SEVENTEENTH REPORT OF THE STATE MINERALOGIST, 1920: CALIFORNIA MINING BUR., P. 180-227.

  • Deposit

    HUTTL, J. B., 1944, GUADALUPE MERCURY MINE HAS NEW TREATMENT PLANT: ENG. AND MIN. JOUR., VOL. 145, NO. 6, P. 86-87.

  • Deposit

    IRELAN, WILLIAM JR., 1888, EIGHT ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE MINERALOGIST FOR THE YEAR ENDING OCTOBER 1, 1888: CALIFORNIA MINING BUR., P. 543-550, 946 P.

  • Deposit

    SAYERS, R. R., 1942, GUADALUPE MERCURY MINE: U. S. BUREAU OF MINES, WAR MINERALS REPT. 14.

  • Deposit

    SAYERS, R. R., 1943, GUADALUPE MINE, SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: U. S. BUREAU OF MINES, WAR MINERALS REPT. 111

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 1976-07-01 Peterson, Jocelyn A. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 1990-05-17 Lindsey, David S. U.S. Bureau of Mines MAS 0060850104 = newMRDS 10213710
Updater 2010-11-08 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey MAS 0060850104 = newMRDS 10213710, merged and deleted.

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Authoritative California resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.